 Ever
wonder how some home builders find happy, relaxed customers
while others get the ones who worry about everything and never
stop complaining? Curt Dubose of Glendale Homes has given a
great deal of thought to the nature of the relationship between
a builder and his client, and he has developed valuable insights
into the reasons and emotions that got into he decision to
build. He even notices the differences between female and male
home buyers.
“Men tend to think of themselves as providers, and
show their love by providing a beautiful home. Women are
doing essentially the same thing, but they show their love
by nesting, creating and decorating the home.” If you
think this is all a little silly or overly simplistic, keep
reading. One look at his company’s record of client
satisfaction tells you he’s got reason to believe he’s
right. Dubose explains, “I’ve learned that every
home we build is an expression of somebody’s heart.
Every detail matters, from the paint on the walls to the
exterior trim. The finished home has to match their dream,
and to make that happen, we have to communicate throughout
the process to be sure of our expectations are in line with
theirs.”
Valued by their happy homeowners, Glendale
Homes has also been recognized by their peers. In Fort
Worth’s 2002
Kaleidoscope of Homes competition, Glendale Homes earned
awards and accolades for their home. What is the recipe for
all this success and satisfaction?
Dubose begins by providing a DVD to
each home buyer about the company and then discussing their
vision for their new
home. “I remind them to clip photos from magazines
of the features they like, so we can talk about their ideas
and how they might be included within their budget.” Once
construction begins, he communicates with the buyers through
daily phone calls and regular e-mails of the weekly construction
schedule and progress checks.
 Dubose has a good handle on another
important piece of the puzzle. “I’ve learned that people don’t
always have a reason to trust you right away. They’re
coming into the home building experience with just what they’ve
herd from others about their home building experiences.
If
they or their friends had a bad experience, some healing
has to take place before trust can be established. We spend
time with them and make sure we understand what they’re
looking for, and we demonstrate our commitment to them over
and over again. Building trust doesn’t happen overnight.
Complete trust is established years down the line. When home
buyers realize they’ve chosen a builder who didn’t
just build them a house, but who stands by them for the long
haul, they begin to have a better level of comfort about
their new home.” This is not to say that things never
go wrong. But, when there is a problem, Dubose doesn’t waste time pointing
fingers. He points out, “It doesn’t matter whether
it was a mistake or a miscommunication. If the result doesn’t
match client expectations, we make it right. At the end of
the day, our client knows that we are going to stand by them.” That
positive attitude has served Glendale well, by building long-lasting
relationships based on trust, and resulting in referrals
and repeat business.
“
We have developed friendships with many of our clients. They’ll
call us, not about the house, but to tell us the latest news
in their lives, or just to recommend a good wine. We are
so flattered to be thought of that way.” Dubose’s
business philosophy is summed up in the company’s motto, “ People
don’t care how much you know until they know how much
you care.”  The people behind Glendale Homes have been demonstrating
that they care about others since the beginning. Richard
Gallagher began Glendale Homes in 1990 after 20 years in
the commercial construction business. Gallagher studied business
finance at Pepperdine University and is a veteran and devoted
family man.
Glendale’s commitment to client satisfaction is rooted
in quality. Dubose points out that while each home is customized
for the client, Glendale has set high baseline standards
for quality in every aspect of their homes’ construction. “We
use 2x6 timber for our exterior walls because it provides
superior structural strength and energy efficiency. We use
superior insulation and energy-smart windows that give our
homeowners up to a 30 percent savings in their monthly utility
bills. We put on a Class 4-A roof to reduce vulnerability
to hail damage and save on insurance costs.”
According to Richard Gallagher, “In the end, it’s
all about the homeowner – attending to their needs
and dreams, and building a trusting relationship. Our goal
is not to build volume, but to focus on quality as our priority.
The custom home environment and our commitment to our customers
allows us to do that.”
Both Gallagher and Dubose explain that
their commitment to integrity and responsive service “just helps them
sleep at night.” Maybe so, but it helps their home
buyers sleep at night, too.
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